And that was when he shot the first fireball.
Dear God in Heaven, he had fireballs.
The first one narrowly missed her, its fiery fingers lashing the air as it sizzled and snapped.
And then he shot another, and another, all the while inching closer to the wings until he had his hands on them.
“No! You sick son of a bitch, no!” she screamed, tears streaming down her face.
A quick glimpse of Dex on the floor, looking white and gasping for breath, was all she needed to summon the strength to hold on to his wings.
But Houston was strong as an ox, stronger still as a demon, and as he pulled back, he dragged her halfway across the floor, tearing her flesh, scraping it against the rough cement floor.
Dex’s breathing had become loud, choppy, like a fish out of water. Even over the sound of her body dragging across the floor, she heard him gasp.
Panic set in, her knuckles white as George sank her fingers further into the feathers and her heart beat so hard, it was sure to fall out of her chest. “Give me these damn wings!”
“Give her those damn wings!” a male voice echoed with an earth-shattering roar that made the very room shake.
Houston let go in shock and surprise, falling backward as someone in a white robe swept through the basement to stand over her father in a menacing posture, puffs of white smoke surrounding his gold-sandaled feet, a glow so bright, it almost hurt to look at him.
Titus. Oh, thank God it was Titus.
She crawled her way to Dex, lifting him up in her arms to hold him against her, pressing her cheek to his face.
Titus sat on his haunches in front of a suddenly meek, trembling Houston. “You, buddy, have been very bad. Super not okay.” He scooped up the blade, a shiny gold, and dropped it in his pocket. “Where’d you get this? Tsk-tsk. You could hurt someone, you know.”
Dex coughed and sputtered seconds before he took a long, deep breath. The man who’d offered up his life for hers was alive.
Thank God.
“Dex!” she cried, pushing his hair from his face. “I’m sorry! I’m really sorry about what I said! I was wrong. You were right about Effie. You were right! I don’t care if you didn’t tell me I wasn’t supposed to die. I don’t care if no one knows about me upstairs! I don’t care if you kept me a secret. I don’t care…” She showered kisses along his jaw, burying her face in his neck.
“So he told you?” Titus asked as he looked down at them, her struggling father thrown over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
“Yes,” she whispered. “And I was kind of awful, even though it’s done nothing but make my life better. I said some horrible things.”
Titus nodded, but then he frowned. “Wait—did he tell you he wanted to take responsibility right from the start?”
She blinked up at the angel in surprise. “No. He didn’t say that at all. He took full responsibility.”
Titus popped his lips and pinched a struggling Houston’s thigh. “Aw, shoot, newb. He wanted to tell on himself from the start. I mean, yeah, he saved you the heartache of months in the hospital and multiple surgeries, and he shouldn’t have. But I’m kinda glad now he did, because you’re one stellar catch. But I did a selfish thing and asked him not to tell anyone upstairs you were an angel. Told him I could sneak you in up there, and I’m gonna, no prob. Promise. But he did it as a favor to me. I need him here on the ground, George. If he’d snitched on himself, because he can’t help but be anything but honorable, he’d have screwed me royally.”
Dex’s eyes opened then and he looked up at George. “I’m sorry I was such an ass. I shouldn’t have projected my sensitivities about Effie’s death on you. I got a little militant because it’s a trigger.” Pushing out of her arms, he sat up and grabbed her hand. “Can you forgive me?”
She smiled at him, her heart warming. “Only if you forgive me for getting angry over something that’s made my life infinitely better. Why didn’t you just tell me Titus was the one who asked you not to say anything until he could find me a place upstairs?”
“Because he’s a good egg,” Titus said with a soft smile. “That’s just who my Dexie is. A good egg.”
“Forget about it,” Dex said, smiling at her. “It’s over now.” He leaned forward and hovered close to her lips. “Do over?” he asked, before pressing a gentle kiss to her mouth.
“Aww, look. Mom and Dad made up, guys,” Nina crowed as she came running down the steps to frown at Titus. “Wait, who the fuck are you?”
“I’m your biggest fan, Nina Blackman-Statleon,” Titus said with a deep chuckle. And then he did something as off the wall as he was. He used one hand to cup the back of her neck and kiss her full on the mouth.
Wanda, Marty, and Darnell howled with laughter, all of them entering the basement to crowd around Dex and George.
Nina yanked her mouth from his and frowned, but she didn’t eat his face off. That was a good sign. “I’ll ask again, who the fuck are you?”
“Titus is the name, Vampire Lady, and I know all about you. We know about all of you upstairs, and I’m here to tell you, sweet work you guys do. Big, big fan.”
“Dex!” Marty cried, helping both George and Dex up. “Oh, my God, I’m sorry. We lost you and then the weirdest thing happened—”
“Demon force field?” Titus asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Sure enough, Boss,” Darnell said as he gave George’s shoulder a squeeze. “Couldn’t get anywhere near the house. None of us could.”
“A demon force field?” George asked, clinging ton Dex’s hand. “Is this for real?”
Why wouldn’t it be real, George. You have wings, for the love of tricycles.
Titus nodded his red head.
